Van de Putte still mulling run with Wendy Davis

Updated 9:54 pm, Thursday, October 3, 2013

Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

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Texas Sen. Leticia Van DePutte, center, cheers during an announcement watch party for State Sen. Wendy Davis, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in San Antonio. Davis formally announced her campaign for governor, becoming the first Democrat to make an official bid for a statewide office. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

Texas Sen. Leticia Van DePutte, center, cheers during an announcement watch party for State Sen. Wendy Davis, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, in San Antonio. Davis formally announced her campaign for governor, becoming ... more

Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

Van de Putte still mulling run with Wendy Davis

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SAN ANTONIO — Before state Sen. Wendy Davis was finished announcing her gubernatorial campaign, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte was surrounded by well-wishers Thursday urging her to join Davis on the ticket as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

Van de Putte reveled in the attention while trying — with little success — to refocus the discussion on Davis, insisting she hasn't made up her mind whether to take a place on the 2014 ticket.

The crowd of about 200 Democrats gathered at the San Antonio Firefighters Banquet Hall had heard what the came to hear — Davis not-so-surprising announcement monitored via webcast from Haltom City — but they wanted more.

“Run, Leticia, run,” they chanted, even before Davis declared her intentions.

Yet, Van de Putte stuck to her own script, praising Davis for her Senate fights for education funding and women's health care, before turning to her own quandary.

“I am seriously considering how I can serve my state ... Now that Wendy has announced, I'll be looking at the analytics and the pathway. I've been having a real strong discussion with my family. It's a lot to put them through,” she said. “It's something we'll be doing a lot of prayer over as well,” she said.

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Van de Putte, 58, a pharmacist and grandmother who served in the Texas House from 1990-99 and in the Senate since 1999, was vaulted into consideration for the lieutenant governor's race this summer. She drew praise from Democrats for her support of Davis' Senate filibuster in June, which delayed but didn't prevent passage of new restrictions on abortions.

Asked if Davis has encouraged her to join the ticket, Van de Putte demurred, “Wendy calls me every day, yeah.”

And pressed for details about the timing of her decision, Van de Putte said, “it'll be within the next 10 days to two weeks. People think I'm being coy, I'm not. It's a lot to ask my family.”

The “Wendy watch” event, hosted by the Battleground Texas organization that seeks to increase Democratic voting, drew union members, party activists, elected officials and candidates. Among those encouraging Van de Putte to run was state Rep. Joe Farias, D-San Antonio.

“I think she's going to wait awhile before she announces, and have her own thunder ... A lot of people that I've spoken to really want her to run because it's going to help the down-ballot (candidates) here locally,” he said.